In an article entitled Texas Instruments Develops Tiniest Transistors Yet, Yahoo! News reports that TI has developed computer chip manufacturing technology allows TI to produce transistors with a length of only 0.07 microns, several times smaller than today's transistors. This will more than triple the amount of transistors that TI can fit on a single chip the size of a fingernail. Currently TI's smallest transistors are 0.18 microns, however most products are on a scale of 0.25 microns. TI plans to begin volume production of the transistor in the year 2001.

Wicked. Though I doubt it will be applied to calculators for oh, 10 or 20 years. The .25 micron chips (say, a Pentium II Xeon *drools*) have enough problems with heat already. Wow, I can't believe they broke the fabled POINT ONE barrier, as it is called. Now to await the arrival at the Point Oh One barrier. At .01 microns, transistors become so darn small, quantum effects become apparent and the transistors become leaky gates. Oh wait, mostly high school kids read this - ah, I'll stop the quantum physics babbling and let everyone get back to their games.
Note: STL is in high school too. :-D

What are you talking about "Oh wait, mostly high school kids read this - ah, I'll stop the quantum physics babbling and let everyone get
back to their games.". High School kids love quantum physics, BABBLE ON!!!!

I agree! Quantum physics rules! Quantum calculators are inevitable, just like hovercars and teleporter machines! <blink> Well, they would be a good idea anyway, if someone worked at it for a while. <shrug>

Perhaps it is nice to know that I'm not the only nerd around here. :-D
Except quantum computer ANYTHING needs heavy, massive shielding.
And there is no antigravity force.
And teleportation is not feasible. See "The Physics Of Star Trek" by Lawrence Krauss.
Right arm, farm out!
:-D

29 August 1998, 06:32 GMT

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: TI Develops 0.07 Micron Transistors

me again

>Perhaps it is nice to know that I'm not the only >nerd around here. :-D

Actually you are, I mean, this is the TI calculator website where the popular people hang out (ha ha) :-)

> And there is no antigravity force.

Except jumping up into the air.

> And teleportation is not feasible.

Glad you used the present tense. Remember when space flight was not feasible because we'd never make escape velocity?

Computers may someday weigh less than 10 tons...
Computers may someday weigh less than a ton...
Computers may someday weigh less than a pound...
Computers may someday cost less than $10,000...
Computers may someday cost less than $1000...
Computers may someday cost less than $100...

<<Glad you used the present tense. Remember when space flight was not feasible because we'd never make escape velocity? >>
No, really. It's just too danged hard, but it is technically possible.
<<Oh yeah, I forgot. They do. >>
Hehehe.

Aright. Those chips kick major arse. Quantum physics is cool too. :) Bring it on dude! :)
And, I would KILL to put a Xeon in my calc! :D
While we're at it, let's throw in an external 9.4 GB hard drive!!! hehe I'm dreaming.
I hope that they do put these into the calcs, and maybe, just maybe, we don't have to wait for our grandkids to buy them for us to use them.
Ever wishing for MORE POWER,
XaVIëR

Well, I can't really see where quantum physics would take effect here, seeing as the electrons have only one path of low resistence to flow through (the transistor), so the path would not be defused any way. And the 'leaky gate' thing, Transistors are kinda' meant to be 'leaky gates', only controled ones. I'm a Sophmore. Go figure.

1. TI sends us the info and pays us to post it.
2. We have setup a special news network for getting the latest news.
3. Every ticalc.org member wakes up at 6:29 AM and reads every major internet news site constantly, reloading every 16 minutes until their bedtime at 1:07 AM.